Guidelines for the Daily Scrum Event

Raven S. Cashaw is an Agile coach and Scrum Master working for RAVVE Technology. She previously worked in the same capacity for BMO Harris Bank and JPMorgan Chase Bank. The nature of Raven S. Cashaw’s expertise involves her in daily Scrum events.

The daily Scrum event is a 15-minute meeting for software developers. Specifically, for software developers who are part of teams practicing Agile software development. The daily Scrum is focused on inspecting the progress of a sprint. A sprint is a short-term goal that is part of a software development project. A sprint can last from one to four weeks. There are several guidelines that help ensure that the daily Scrum event is fast, focused, and effective.

All communications during daily scrums must be limited to only two things: the current sprint and preparations for the next sprint. Within this limit participants in the sprint should communicate accomplishments from the day before and current deliverable targets. The focus must be on accomplishments or deliverables and not tasks. As an example, researching how to implement a software feature is a task, whereas successfully building a feature such as a search facility is an accomplishment.

Even though Scrum participants are strictly advised to talk only about the current and future sprints, there has to be a way for them to communicate that they have been engaged in work unrelated to the sprint goals. For this purpose, the term “other stuff” can be used. For the Scrum Master, hearing that team members have been doing “other stuff” constantly should be regarded as a red flag that the development team might be too distracted to effectively focus on the sprint goals. In this case, appropriate measures should be taken by managers to remove these distractions. 

Writing a Successful Children’s Book

Raven S. Cashaw is a resident of Naperville, Illinois, and has spent her career working in information technology. She has served various firms as Agile coach, scrum master, and technical program manager. While her focus may be on IT, Raven S. Cashaw has also authored and successfully published a children’s book.

Many people may think that they have what it takes to write a children’s book, but this specific type of writing requires a certain talent and process. The first step in the process is to have an idea that is not only going to attract children but their parents as well. Children will normally be reading books purchased and approved by their parents, so a writer must pass the parenting test.

It is also important to understand the market and the age range at which the book will be aimed. Younger children under six are better suited for books with more pictures than words, whereas children above six will be drawn towards more “adult” style reading. The writer must decide on the age range before settling on the style of the book.

When writing a children’s book, the characters should be well developed and not overly complicated. Children have a tendency to get very invested in their favorite characters, and developing them to be more relatable is essential for keeping them hooked on the story.

The ADAA Presents Generalized Anxiety

The owner of RAVVE Medical Billing and an agile coach with RAVVE Technology and Northwestern Medicine, Chicago’s Raven S. Cashaw is a member of both Scrum Alliance and Agile Alliance. Outside the professional arena, Raven S. Cashaw supports multiple nonprofit organizations including the Anxiety & Depression Association of America.

For more than three decades, the nonprofit Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) has been furthering the prevention and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, among other common mental disorders. It shares a number of tips to manage anxiety and stress through the ADAA website.

When acute feelings of anxiety or stress occur, the ADAA suggests taking several slow and deep breaths. It may also help to stop what you’re doing and count slowly to 10 or 20, repeating several times if necessary. It also recommends longer periods of quiet self-care. Whether you meditate or simply listen to music, frequent “timeouts” are essential.

General lifestyle tips include eating regular and balanced meals while limiting intake of caffeine and alcohol, which can exacerbate anxiety and precipitate panic attacks. Sufficient quality sleep and moderate daily exercise are also tremendously important.

ADA's Project Power - Reducing Childhood Obesity at Household Level

Experienced in agile coaching and frameworks, Raven S. Cashaw has trained numerous agile teams across various organizations to help them increase their level of productivity and output. She also has a strong background in scrum mastery and information technology. She is the owner and agile coach at RAVVE Technology and RAVVE Medical Billing. Outside of her professional work, Raven S. Cashaw donates to the American Diabetes Organization (ADA).

The American Diabetes Association brings together people living with diabetes, their families, as well as caregivers and medical staff to help those affected by the disease. The organization also educates the public about the disease and conducts research studies to find treatment. ADA has numerous community initiatives, such as Project Power, which uses education and fun activities to bring together kids who are at risk of type 2 diabetes as well as their families to teach them how to embrace healthy living.

With the rate of childhood obesity in America on a steady increase, many children are increasingly at risk of contracting type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle diseases. ADA, through Project Power initiative, reaches out to communities across the U.S. to slow down the rates of childhood obesity through nutrition education, health promotion, increased physical activity, and family involvement. The initiative targets both elementary and middle-aged school children. Project Power encourages families to adopt healthy behaviors at the household level and participate in building a healthy future.